1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a prosthetic element comprising two principal components, to the use of such an element, and to processes for assembly of such an element.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prosthetic element most often comprises a part intended to constitute an articular surface and a part for anchorage in the patient's bone. Taking into account their respective mechanical functions, these parts are sometimes composed of distinct components, such components each being optimalized as far as the choice of their constituent materials and their mode of manufacture are concerned. These components should then be able to be assembled precisely and easily. For example, an anchoring component may be fixed in the bone and a component forming an articular surface added thereon.
In certain prior art devices, such as disclosed in FR-A-2 605 514 for example, it is known to use a screw for locking one part of a prosthesis on another part provided with a corresponding tapping. It is also known from FR-A-2 689 756 to use a screw for locking a shank fast with an articular head inside a bore made in a prosthesis anchoring part. It is also possible, as in FR-A-2 737 107, to provide using a screw captive in a housing made on one of the parts and intended to cooperate with a tapping made in the other part.
The known devices require precise positioning and alignment of the components constituting a prosthetic element, which is not always possible as the operative field is difficult to access and as it is delicate to visualize due to the traumatic depression of the glenoid cavity. In addition, the screws used in the known system may be displaced or poorly aligned with respect to the parts with which they are to cooperate, hence a risk of distorting their threads or the tapping with which they are to cooperate.
It is a more particular object of the present invention to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a prosthetic element that may be assembled in particularly easy and precise manner, while remaining very practical to use.